Columns & Production Tips

A significant benefit of courageous conversations is in learning what everyone on the team thinks, feels and wants.

Just converse — it feels so good to talk

Know your communication style, and be ready to make room for others’ styles

By Elaine Froese February 16, 2024

Being able to talk freely with your farm team and feel they understand what you are needing is a huge gift! Accept you can’t make other people change, but you can change how you respond and handle things. Talking is the work. Decide today that you are going to become more self-aware and self-controlled around […] Read more

After carefully filling in around the well, Dan Mitchell makes a pad for the trough, then works on sloping the hillside behind so that the animals don’t have a drop off.

Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Securing another water source

Eppich News: A stream 13 feet underground was tapped and will water cattle on the northeast side of the home section

By Heather Eppich February 16, 2024

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! In December our weather continued to be mild. We had a few cold days with a cold wind but for the most part we were still above normal temperatures. The animals are quite happy with the temperatures. On Dec. 15 we had Dan Mitchell from Kerrobert come out with […] Read more

exterior photo of the toronto stock exchange

Columns, Home Quarter Investing, Markets

The value of target prices

How accurate are analysts’ projections on stocks’ price movements?

By Herman VanGenderen February 16, 2024

One aspect of my character that has served me well over the years is a healthy sense of skepticism of what I hear or read. This “skill,” for lack of a better word, is becoming increasingly important in the information age, more accurately described as the misinformation age. I read a lot to know what […] Read more

Columns

Potential heir’s U.S. residency complicates farm estate planning

Where a situation is subject to change, have a clearly defined will subject to regular review

By Andrew Allentuck February 16, 2024

A single father — let’s call him Dave — is in his mid-60s. He lives in south-central Manitoba. Dave inherited several quarters of choice potato land from his parents upon their passing. Over the years he has sold of a couple of quarters but still has two quarters remaining. Dave has three kids, and he […] Read more

Wheat & Chaff

Saskatchewan crop boards under new leadership

By Grainews Staff February 16, 2024

The new year has come with a lot of newness at Saskatchewan’s crop development boards, as two approved a merger and two others elected new leaders last month. SaskCanola and SaskFlax saw formal voting on an amalgamation plan during the two organizations’ annual general meetings and the plan “was met with widespread approval,” they said. […] Read more

Saskatchewan-born players on the SJHL’s 12 teams are now labelled with this decal on their helmets.

Columns, Editor's column

Editor’s Rant: Playing the long game

By Dave Bedard February 16, 2024

I think I’ve recently alarmed a few people who know me, as I’ve taken a much greater interest in watching hockey on TV. It surprises me too. I moved to Winnipeg not long before the previous iteration of the Jets bolted for Arizona, which left me even more soured on most pro sports. (After the […] Read more

Growing potatoes in Prairie farm gardens should be relatively easy if you’re able to anticipate and avoid the usual problems.

Columns, Potatoes, Practical Tips

Let’s meet the potato family

Part 4 of a series on Prairie farm gardens

By Ieuan Evans February 13, 2024

The potato is a member of the solanum or Solanaceae family, made up of thousands of wild and cultivated species that range from deadly nightshade to tomatoes. Commonly cultivated in farm gardens are potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and tomatillos. Members of this family also include petunias, lobelias, tobacco and common weeds such as black nightshade […] Read more

Columns, Markets

A hundred years of Prairie farmland prices

Don’t bet the farm on that much-anticipated easing of interest rates

By Les Henry February 9, 2024

Farmland prices continue to go up like a helium balloon, leading to speculation that it might continue and speculation in land as a commodity. In this piece we will look at a long history and provide some guesses about the future. Anyone who thinks they can actually predict the future is living in dreamland. Figure […] Read more

Absent a significant rally in Chicago June and August live cattle, the market for backgrounded cattle is not sustainable moving forward.

Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Fed cattle market softens

The longer-term outlook remains bright, despite lots of cattle on feed

By Jerry Klassen February 9, 2024

During the first week of January, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $363-$365 per hundredweight delivered. This was down marginally from the price range of $368-$370/cwt. during the week of December. In Kansas and Texas, live prices were US$171/cwt., down US$4/cwt. from 30 days earlier. U.S. packers […] Read more

This is a closeup of superb Valentine bleeding heart flowers. The plant likes soil to be evenly moist but not constantly wet. Allow surface soil to become dry to an inch deep or more between waterings. An eastern exposure is ideal and filtered light or mostly shade is preferred much of the day. Avoid scorching the plant from too much direct sunlight and excess heat. As soon as the first crop of blooms begins to show signs of exhaustion, cut back the entire plant once flowering is done. Sprinkle a complete fertilizer on the surrounding soil, moisten in and wait. If autumn frost doesn’t arrive too early, you’ve a good chance to enjoy a second flowering of bleeding heart during fall.

Columns, Farm Life

Odes to purple potatoes and to horticultural hearts

Also: an Alberta reader is on the hunt for a Bird of paradise

By Ted Meseyton February 9, 2024

What’s it going to be this Valentine’s Day? Red roses, a box of chocolates and a corsage along with a singing card are standard. Or maybe you’ve created a one-of-a-kind, original Valentine’s Day card of your own? Perhaps a night out in town with a reservation for two at Mr. Mikes Steakhouse hits the spot. […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle extend gains on improving cash prices, packer demand

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